The Real Federación Española de Béisbol y Sófbol (RFEBS) announced Spain’s 2025 World Baseball Classic Qualifier (WBCQ) roster on Feb. 3, submitting it to World Baseball Classic Inc. (WBCI) and Major League Baseball officials.
Spain's roster for the 2025 #WorldBaseballClassic Qualifiers: pic.twitter.com/TBHmnZCerP
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) February 3, 2025
RFEBS also confirmed its official WBCQ roster submission to WBCI on Feb. 3.
ROSTER LIST ⚾️????
Ya conocemos la lista de jugadores que lucharán para acceder al World Baseball Classic 2026 en el clasificatorio en #Taipéi ????
Con estos 28 jugadores #España buscará su segunda participación en este prestigioso torneo ????????
¡Vamos a por esa clasificación! ???????????????? pic.twitter.com/5xTeIouh6Z
— RFE Béisbol y Sófbol (@RFEBS) February 3, 2025
Spain’s 28-man roster will compete in the 2025 WBCQ at the Taipei Dome in Xinyi, Taipei, Taiwan from Feb. 21-24, facing host nation Chinese Taipei, South Africa, and Nicaragua.
Spain is ranked No. 24 in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) rankings. Chinese Taipei holds the No. 2 ranking, Nicaragua is No. 16, and South Africa is No. 31.
Jesús Lisarri serves as president of the Real Federación Española de Béisbol y Sófbol.
Spain will be managed by Nelson Prada at the 2025 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers. His coaching staff includes bench coach Néstor Pérez, pitching coach Manu Olivera, hitting coach Adam Jones, third base coach Candelario Díaz, first base coach Aritz García, bullpen coach Eduardo Domínguez, and assistant coach Félix Cano. Jones, a former Major League Baseball outfielder, will handle hitting coach duties.
Spain’s 2025 WBCQ roster features 27 players born outside of Spain, with 10 from Venezuela, nine from the Dominican Republic, six from Cuba, one from Colombia, and one from the United States. The roster includes players competing in professional leagues worldwide, the minor leagues with Major League Baseball organizations, independent leagues in the United States and Canada, and the División de Honor de Béisbol, which is operated by RFEBS.
Starting pitcher Jorge Balboa is the only Spanish-born player on Spain’s roster for the 2025 WBCQ.
Anderson De León, Fernando Báez, Wander Encarnación, Engel Beltré, Rhiner Cruz, Yeudy García, Edison Valerio, Edgar Rondón, and Ramón Rosso, all from the Dominican Republic, are on Spain’s WBCQ roster.
Catcher Andrés Angulo is the only Colombian player on Spain’s WBCQ roster.
Frank Hernández, Félix Stevens, Elián Leyva, Orlando Rodríguez, Yoanner Negrín, and Pablo Guillén are from Cuba.
Spain’s WBCQ roster includes 10 Venezuelan players, Rusber Estrada, Gabriel Lino, Daniel Jiménez, Jesús Ustariz, Luis Guillorme, Elio Silva, José Campos, Carlos Colmenarez, Daniel Álvarez, and Andrés Pérez.
The only U.S.-born player on Spain’s 2025 WBCQ roster is Christopher Kwitzer from New York, N.Y.
The official World Baseball Classic roster for Spain is also located on MLB.com.
MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart reported on Feb. 11 that Luis Guillorme signed a minor league deal with the Houston Astros.
Astros have agreed to a Minor League deal with veteran IF Luis Guillorme, according to a source. The 30-year-old has seven years in big leagues, mostly with Mets. Lefty bat provides some infield depth.
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) February 11, 2025
Chandler Rome, Astros beat writer of The Athletic reported on February 11, that Guillorme’s minor league deal includes an invitation to major league camp.
The Astros have signed infielder Luis Guillorme to a minor-league deal that includes an invitation to major-league camp, source tells @TheAthletic. Left-handed bat that has played all over the infield — but primarily second base. First: @brianmctaggart
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) February 11, 2025
A final decision from Houston’s front office is expected in the coming days to determine whether Luis Guillorme can play for Spain in the 2025 WBC Qualifiers in Taiwan before returning to Astros spring training.
Spain last played in the World Baseball Classic in 2013 under former manager Mauro Mazzotti. Competing in Pool C at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Spain lost all three games to host nation Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic.
Spain qualified for the 2013 WBC after going 2-2 in Pool 1 of the first qualifying event, securing a 9-7 victory over Israel on Sept. 23, 2012.
Spain did not qualify for the 2017 WBC, finishing 0-2 in Qualifier 3 at Estadio Rod Carew in Panama City, Panama, with losses to Colombia and France.
In the 2023 WBC Qualifiers, Spain competed at Armin-Wolf Arena in Regensburg, Germany, finishing 2-2 before losing 3-1 to the Czech Republic in the final qualifier on Sept. 21, 2022.
Spain’s 2025 WBCQ roster features many players from its 2023 European Baseball Championship (EBC) team, which competed in the Czech Republic from Sept. 24 to Oct. 1, 2023.
Spain won its second-ever European Baseball Championship gold medal on Oct. 1, 2023, defeating Great Britain 11-2 to capture its first title since 1955.
In the 2023 EBC, Andrés Angulo hit .400/.650/.520 across six games, recording eight hits in 20 at-bats, scoring eight runs, with one triple, one home run, five RBIs, four walks, and one stolen base.
Wander Encarnación played six games, hitting .550/.950/.583, collecting 11 hits in 20 at-bats, scoring nine runs, with two doubles, two home runs, 11 RBIs, two walks, and two strikeouts.